Monday, 18 March 2013

The Duchesse and the Comte

Another widely rumoured affair was between the Queen's favourite, Yolande duchesse de Polignac and the Joseph, Comte de Vaudreuil.

Madame de Polignac

The alleged affair is still not proven and there is no way that we will ever know for sure. But at the time there were many rumours that the couple was indeed lovers and that Joseph was actually the biological father of Yolande's two youngest children: Jules (who would later become prime minister) and Camille. We can almost with certainty say that her two eldest children were not fathered by the comte because Yolande gave birth to them before she even met Joseph.

The assumed relationship between the two were not approved of by the Queen, Marie Antoinette. As the closest friend of Yolande de Polignac it must have been rather awkward if the rumours were true. The reason why Marie Antoinette's disapproval was that she had an intense dislike towards the comte de Vaudreuil - a dislike that most likely began when the comte broke one of the Queen's ivory billiard cues in a fit of rage.

Comte de Vaudreuil

Were they lovers or were they not? We do not know and the topic is still being discussed. It is very likely that we will never know at all but that is the way of history.